Trying New Approach In Photography

This one I decided to do in B&W.

I gotta say,Mario, These are impressive shots for someone just making the range of changes that you have made. I am a sucker for Black and White, and the buzzard has it all for me - but them I am very much into abstract. Keep this up and it will soon be YOU writing the books on how to be successful :).......Peter

Mario,

What are you asking us to do? Critique the images and for what, composition and or color?

The first two are very dark, probably a stop or more. And the second group is ok, but "lizard" overexposed on the whites,maybe from exposure or saturation/contrast.

I think that you should spend sometime and find a photographer that you like his style and how he/she "sees" and then try and duplicate shots that you think are possible. Composition should be the most important aspect about learning and teaching the "eye" to see. Most of the images on your site are nice, but snapshots, mostly and if you actually want to compete here, you'll need to work at this.

It would be like me going and getting a solder gun and some copper wire and then trying to make some figures! Sure, the desire is there, but I wouldn't have any "talent" to produce anything, worth looking at.

If you have specific questions, glad to help, here or privately,

Rich

Thank you Rich, actually a critique is always helpful, but I was more hoping to hear about different approaches to composition, like I said I am very new at this, a week at most,In yesterdays shots I sought out looking for interesting subjects to practice on, I like and find cows interesting and I like wildlife and landscape also. But today I wanted to try a new approach on looking for things to photograph, this was based on an article I mentioned I read and found very inspiring and I was instantly drawn to, it dealt with what makes a great photograph by Ken Rockwell and he suggested it had nothing to do with subject. So today I tried a different approach and instead of looking for subjects , cows flowers etc, I was looking for shapes, colors and light to photograph. I am looking to see what other approaches photographers here apply in seeking out things to photograph.

@Peter, thank you very much!

I like these, Mario! Thanks for the tip about Ken Rockwell. I will be reading that. I'm far more interested in creative photography than the usual stuff. See my Abstract and Creative Photography gallery for more ideas.

Thank you Patricia, I will be checking your gallery out!

Where are the photos taken in Vivid mode?

Sorry Lina, I was busy trying to learn how to get out of auto mode and I just got caught up in the moment, I will read up on vivid mode for this camera, but I think it's one of the many preset features not available in manual mode?. I will make a note of it and I will take some photos using this feature on my next outing which will be very soon and I'll posting them for you, or email you , thanks for reminding me.

I like this better in B&W

This one to, B &W.

Mario. Try doing it as if you were doing class assignments. Take a number of days and work solely on light. Forget shapes, forget colors, just light. For instance, that shot of the lizard has what we call "blown out" areas, areas of white where light was too harsh. When viewing photographs, our eye gravitates toward the brightest or most contrasty portion first. There are myriad blogs and articles pertaining just to light.
Then take a few days and, now knowing how to control light, work on shapes and so on.

Mario, here is the article you might be interested in, as it points at the same things you are looking for:

http://petapixel.com/2015/03/16/seeing-is-the-essence-of-photography-and-you-can-learn-to-do-it-better/

Very good Mario! More lizards please!

They say the camera is one of the two most powerful weapons you can legally wield without a license, and the other one's a chainsaw (okay - they don't say it, I say it), so use it wisely and learn those controls.

The other (early) morning there was a magnificent deep blood sunrise, and I wanted to capture the colour as close as I could get it to the way it actually looked. Suddenly I remembered the fireworks mode, which always manages to get the colour on point, but four second exposures without a stand - not wise.

Well at least the colour was right...

Thank you Louise, that is good advise, I know I jump around all over the place. The lizard I knew I had a problem with, I took numerous shots of it and I deleted one that I took in auto mode which came out better, and then I was left with this one in which my shutter speed was just to low with a really wide aperture, I will be more careful when I delete from now on.

Elena, I will read it, thanks for posting the link!

Thanks Mark! no shortage of lizards around here. Lol Another saying is a little knowledge is dangerous. LOL I will be exploring shooting just before sunset, but early mornings I'll leave to you, I don't think I can get excited that early in the morning. I am carrying my monopod with me now.

Mario - you are off to a good start. Photography is such a vast subject that I honestly believe someone could spend their entire life learning and improving. For great light, like has been stated already, the hours around sunset and sunrise are usually best because the light can bring a beautiful glow to the subject at hand. For recommendations, I would really suggested getting a good tripod and ball head, using them consistently, and taking your time to set up composition and exposure. My own work is almost always markedly better when I use a tripod and take my time.

Thank you Adele, it is vast and so much to learn. There are so man schools of thought on just about every thing that is a "RULE" but it's not unlike many things in life, I always like putting my own stamp on things rather than copy others style. I do seek out those which have made vast contributions to the art and look to their work for inspiration, but in the end, it's gonna be what I like that comes out of this new camera of mine and hopefully it will be something that others like as well. But like my copper sculptures, I first make it to please myself, I think I'm able to hold myself to a higher standard than anyone can impose on me creatively, I have been very fortunate that I have been able to sell every sculpture I have put my mind on selling, numbering well over 150 in the few years I have been at it.

Years ago, when I was involved in real estate sales I was staring out my career working for a top firm in Miami, I was a very ambitious young man, not so much now. I was in the residential section and one day I asked the receptionist "who did I need to speak to about transferring over to the commercial department", she laughed in my face and said that I had to work my way up there and that it would take years. Well, I didn't buy into that type of thinking. I read to many psychological motivational books and knew better. I said to her if she new what the leap frog method was, of course I left her scratching her head. To make a long story short, I started working in the commercial department in less than a week, and I was the top listing agent for the month in my first month there. I am not saying this story to be boastful, but only to point out that sometimes a persons desire can supersede what it normally requires to achieve a desired result. I'm not one who believes sayings like "you have to pay the price" or it takes years to master this or that, if I believed that I would never have purchased my torches and made my first copper sculpture, and knowing that I had never taken an art class ever in my life. As far as my real estate career in that company went, I was quickly bored with wealthy commercial property owners who thought when they subscribed to my services that I was just another extension of their enterprises and an employee of theirs. I quit and went on to build a successful real estate investment business on my own and purchased over 75 properties,quickly and against the advise of many real estate lawyers and experts I consulted. Maybe this is why i was immediately drawn to this Photographer named Ken Rockwell, of which I just became aware of just a day or two ago and by accident,in a google search, after being drawn to his writings I discovered he is said to be the most hated photographer online, just the type of person whom I like to follow.

I have learned a few things in these days, enough to know I can do this ,enough to know that I have much to learn , I have been very fortunate that some members here have been very generous with their help and guidance and advise and I wish to give a big THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED AND ENCOURAGED ME, THANK YOU! . If someone desires to learn how to make a copper sculpture I would be more than happy to reciprocate, I often do help anyone that has an interest.

My hope is that my "snap shots" start looking more like "Real photographs and works of arts" as I continue on this journey,and I hope I don't have to copy anyone here or anywhere and hopefully this will not take years and years, I don't have that kind of time. LOL


Btw: "leap frog method was a phrase coined by Robert Ringer in his book "Million Dollar habits"

Here is a link to a blog I just googled that has the " leap frog theory" http://www.earlytorise.com/the-power-of-the-leapfrog-theory/

Mario,

You've proven the point, that once one has the EYE , the Hand naturally follows.

With the click of a shutter, you've certainly show that you have the EYE.


And take all these rules and regulations, drummed into so many of the photographers with a grain of salt.

Be your own man, with your own EYE...And SNAP AWAY

No doubt in my mind, Mario. The Buzzard is my fav.

It's probably already been pointed out (I haven't read all the replies) but many of the color ones look much better in BW.

You might be well advised to pick one of the things you mentioned, "shapes, colors and light" and focus solely on that one thing for starters.

Think of it as learning anything new. You don't start out by learning to do everything at once.

Light and it's effects IMO is an excellent choice to begin with as it affects all of the others on the list. This would also be less complicated in BW.

Keep at it, You're off to a great start and keep the positive attitude. THAT is the most important thing in learning anything.....IMO.

Bill Tomsa

http://billtomsa.blogspot.com/

I start with good light. Great light if i can. Then i find interesting subject in great light. I may have chosen a time and location where i think i can find these. Then i work on composition. If you have great light you dont even need a great subject. Just composition. If you can get some color going on too great. Sometimes line and light trumps color though.

Roger, Bill and Bradford, thank you. I'm really liking the the black and whites, I will make a point of viewing every thing I shoot in black and white as well, I'm very surprised how that alone can make a photo look better than it really is.

Mark, more lizards you said................well I managed to pull this one out from a batch I had deleted yesterday, I might have another one with a different pose from the little critter still left to edit.